Teen shows 'no remorse' for sexually assaulting girl and believes he was 'set up', court hears

Gordon Deegan

A judge has told a Limerick teenager that he has "significant concerns” that he shows no remorse towards a girl he sexually assaulted and referred to her as a “false accuser” to his Probation Officer.

At the Children’s Court, Judge Alec Gabbett said “it is a huge issue” for him that the 17-year-old boy referred to the victim in the case “as a false accuser as she must have wanted him to get locked up for no reason and viewed himself as a victim in this case”.

Judge Gabbett was commenting on the contents of a Probation Report on the boy he ordered in July after he found the boy guilty of the sexual assault of the girl who was aged 15 at the time of the offence on May 14th, 2022.

The boy was aged 14 at the time of the offence where he ‘humped’ the girl from behind in the company of other teenagers at a popular swimming spot, a pontoon at Canal Bank, Killaloe three years ago.

In the case, the girl told specialist gardaí that she was ‘scared and angry’ when asked how she felt as a result of the assault.

After reading the extensive Probation Report on the boy, Judge Gabbett said that the report states that the boy “outlined he did not know the victim prior of the offence, he did not show any remorse or empathy towards the victim and he identified that the victim was not a victim in this case as it did not happen”.

Addressing the teen - accompanied to court by his mother - Judge Gabbett told him: “You are not accepting that this happened at all - despite what happened in the courtroom - you are denying it - you are saying effectively that you were set up and you have no remorse which for me is a big concern."

Judge Gabbett warned the teenager that he "would be far better to man up" and deal with this in a different way - otherwise this would land him in detention.

At the Children's Court at Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, Judge Gabbett said that the Probation Report has stated that the teenager is at a moderate risk of re-offending.

Judge Gabbett said that he has “a terrible lingering suspicion that there is something not quite right and that is what I want to get to the bottom of".

He said: “I don’t want this teenager to be in prison in his 20s for some sexual assault when it can be addressed now.”

On the teenager's offence, Judge Gabbett said: “Somewhere along the line, the wrong and right part of that type of behaviour has got lost - probably along the internet.”

Solicitor, Daragh Hassett, for the boy said that his client’s attitude has softened since speaking to his Probation Officer.

Mr Hassett said that his client “does want to apologise for the upset caused by him to this young lady”.

He said: “They may disagree over what happened, but my client accepts that she was greatly upset by his attendance on the pontoon that day and what went on."

Mr Hassett said: “He was the youngest of those present - I think there was an element of bravado."

Mr Hassett told his client, “You upset this woman greatly - you and others.”

The teenager’s mother told the court that her son has apologised.

Judge Gabbett said that he wanted to give the boy “every facility you need to make sure that nothing goes astray again”.

Judge Gabbett adjourned sentencing for two weeks.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.